Ryanair FO.
All FR aircraft flying around today are 737-800 (which are part of the NG series)...
- all over wing exits are springloaded upwards.
- there was no snow in rome, the white liquid on the runway is foam.
- cockpit window was not opened for depressurazation reasons (not ryanair procedure), possibly to assess damage/fire presence or speak to the emergency services (in my opinion).
- maneuvering at 200 feet to avoid birds is complete nonsense (or at 500, 1000 etc...)
- once landed, you would try to use full reverse until reaching a complete stop without bothering with 80kts idle reveres, 60kts stowed... being a non normal situation where they were probably struggling to stop withing the runway they had available.
- if the aircraft bounced several time as described by some observers, there would be a good possibility of a tailstrike.
my opinion on the events is:
- FO flying, after multiple birdstrikes and loss of engine thrust he attempted a go around as per ryanair procedure which states:
in the event of engine failure on final approach,
Flaps 15.
Bug Speed +20knots.
if between 1000agl & 500agl: go around mandatory if IMC & may elect to continue if VMC, requiring to be stabilised by 500.
below 500agl: go around mandatory IMC or VMC.
(IMC: instrument meteorological conditions ie. can't see the runway, VMC: visual meterological conditions ie. we can see the runway).
Therefore, assuming everything happened below 500feet and VMC (looking at the pictures in rome that day), with the information the FO was presented with (ie single engine situation), he was correctly following SOP in attempting a missed approach.
Furthermore, considering the runway type in CIA (2200m), a relative high landing weight (high pax load plus fuel tankering) and fiumicino just down the road (over 3000m runway and better equipped for an emergency situation), attempting a single engine landing would have not been the greatest of ideas anyway.
On pressing TOGA, no response/not enough thrust on other engine at which point Captain took over to "land".
Being familiar with Ciampino airport and the mentality around there I'm looking forward to find out from the inverstigation if the procedures that the airport had in place for bird scaring were ever put in place.
Alex.
Well done to the 6 crew members
